People the world over consume mixed drinks—sometimes such drinks are a mixture of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, flavorings and water, nutritional supplements and water, or any combination of fluids and/or fluid compatible ingredients. Sometimes the combination of such ingredients may produce an unsavory flavor if they are mixed with one another for some extended period of time. One component may settle, absorb carbonation or otherwise react with the other components. Usually, the flavor of these mixed drinks is optimized by consuming the beverage immediately after mixing the constituents. As a result, the component fluids are usually kept in separate containers until they are mixed.
For example, when a beverage such as a wine spritzer is mixed, the wine and carbonated beverage are mixed only immediately before consumption. Otherwise, the adverse effect of the wine and carbonated beverage when they are combined for some extended period of time would render the drink unpalatable. The wine often acquires a bitter taste, while the carbonated beverage becomes “flat.” The same general effects are observed as an alcoholic beverage such as rum is mixed with cola or fruit juice.
Because of the adverse effects associated with the extended mixing of certain components of common mixed drinks, these components are often stored separately until immediately before consumption. Individuals must therefore mix drinks. Not only is such mixing tedious, but the process is inherently imprecise, resulting in some drinks that are much stronger or weaker than others. Additionally, the ingredients are stored separately and tend to be depleted at different times, making it difficult to maintain an inventory of adequate amounts of all constituents of a mixed drink.
Recognizing the advantages that a multi-compartment container would provide, innovators have conceived various dual chamber containers over the years. However, known prior multi-compartment containers do not address the unique conveniences inherent in the present invention. In the art, there is no known container that is attachable to conventional beverage containers, keeps constituents in discrete hermetically sealed compartments, opens both compartments simultaneously with removal of a cap and gasket, and enables pouring and mixing of determined proportions of each liquid simultaneously through separate but adjacent orifices.
What is needed is a supplementary beverage container that is attachable to conventional beverage containers, is capable of keeping its constituents in a discrete hermetically sealed compartment, provides openings for the beverage container and the compartment of the supplementary container, and facilitates pouring, proportioning and mixing of the constituents after opening and during consumption. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.